NAIROBI, Kenya – A senior government official has been arrested in connection with the murder of lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu, who was gunned down on Magadi Road in Nairobi on September 9.
The official, whose role in the killing remains unclear, is among six people in custody as detectives pursue leads linking the fatal shooting to an unresolved financial dispute.
Investigators recovered a substantial amount of cash from the homes of the suspects and brought in money-counting machines to process the haul.
Police said some of those held had described themselves as friends of the late Mbobu, while others are believed to have been his clients.
Preliminary reports indicate Mbobu had met some of the suspects at a Nairobi restaurant just hours before his death.
The lawyer was later ambushed along Jakaya Kikwete Road, intercepted by a motorcycle gunman who shot him several times in the chest and neck before fleeing with an accomplice.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed the Inspector General of Police to expedite the investigation and provide a comprehensive status report within seven days.
“We condole with the family and the legal fraternity. Justice will be pursued to its fullest extent,” he said in a statement, urging members of the public with information to come forward.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen condemned the murder, describing it as “a tragic event” and confirming that statements have been recorded from several persons of interest.
Speaking in Migori County, he assured the public that the inquiry would be handled “without favouritism” and praised eyewitnesses who have already volunteered information.
Police are still working to identify the firearm used in the shooting and to trace additional suspects linked to the crime.
Mbobu’s death has sent shockwaves through Kenya’s legal community, raising fresh concerns over the safety of advocates handling high-stakes financial and commercial cases.
